HMEBANE TURNER, who retired Friday, will be a hard act to follow. Over his 32 years as president of the University of Baltimore, he transformed it from an unaccredited commuter school to a respected academic institution with doctoral programs.

That's not all. He cannily spotted opportunities for acquisitions.

He strengthened UB by folding two smaller colleges into it.

He also gobbled up so much real estate near the midtown campus -- including a seedy striptease club -- that the university constructed or took over 23 buildings or parking facilities. A 50-acre athletic complex in Mount Washington has potential as a future satellite site.

All this -- plus the control of the Lyric Opera House by a university-connected private foundation -- made UB a critical player in the Mount Royal area. Without its stabilizing influence, the wide-ranging cultural district would be less vibrant today -- if it existed at all.

Some critics accused Dr. Turner of empire building. Perhaps he was guilty of that, but he didn't do it for his own glorification. By creating a university that had to be taken seriously, he was able to defeat other empire builders, including those who in the late 1980s tried to merge the University of Baltimore with the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

The good news for Baltimore is that Dr. Turner won't be going anywhere, so the city will be able to avail itself of his energy and talent for years to come.